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116 HISTOEY OF LACE. were sumptuary edicts issued against luxury. 12 The court set a bad example; and in 1577, at the meeting of the states of Blois, Henry wore on his own dress four thousand yards of pure gold lace. His successor, Henry IV., issued several fresh ordinances 13 against “ clinquants u et dorures.” Touching the last, Regnier, the satirist, writers :— “ A propos, on m’a (lit Quo eontre les clinquants le roy faict un edict.” 15 Better still, the king tried the effect of example : he wore a coat of grey cloth with a doublet of taffety, without either trimming or lace—a piece of economy little appreciated by the public. His dress, says an author, “ sentait des miseres de la Ligue.” Sully, anxious to emulate the simplicity of Louis XI., laughed at those “ qui portoient leurs moulins et leurs hois de haute futaie sur leurs dos.” 16 “ It is necessary,” said he, “ to rid ourselves of our neighbours’ goods, which deluge the country.” So lie prohibited, under pain of corporal punishment, any more dealings with the Flemish merchants. But edicts failed to put down point coupe; Reine Margot, Madame Gabrielle, and Bassompierre were too strong for the minister. The wardrobe accounts of Henry’s first queen are filled with entries of point coupe and “passements a l’aiguille; ” 17 and thouHi 12 No less than ten were sent forth by Jidelle SerHteur (Du Halllan), Bordeaux, the Valois kings, from 1549 to 1583. 1586. ’ 12 These were dated 1594, 1600, 1601, ^ “ 1579. Poiu . , lvoil . reillouste - trois and 1606. fraises a poinct couppe, 15 sols. 14 Copper used inst. ad of gold thread “ Dour avoir monte ciuq fruizes a poinct for embroidery or lace. The term was couppe sur linomple, les avoir ourllds et equally applied to false silver thread. couzeus a la petite eordelliere et au poinct “1582. Dix escus pour dix aulnes de none a rai.-.on de 30 sols pour chacune. gaze blanche raye'e d’argent clinquant “■ Dour la ta^on de sept rabatz ourlle's a pour faire ung voille h la Boulloimoiso.”— double arrierepoinct etcouzu le passement Comptes de la Heine de Navarre. Arcli. an desaus. Nat. K. K. 170. *• 1580. Dour avoir faict d’ung mouchoir 15 llegnier, Math., “SesSatyres,” 1642. ouvre deux rabatz, 20 sols. 16 The observation was not new. A “ Dour deux pieces de poiuct couppe' Remonstrance to Catherine de Medicis, pour servir a ladicte dame, vi livres 1586, complains that “leurs moulins, “ Pour dix huict aulnes’de passement leurs terres, leurs prez, leurs hois et leurs blanc pour mestre a des fraizes a trois revenuz, se coulent en broderies, pour- escus l’aulne.” filures, pa-semens, franges, tortis, cane- 1582. The account for tin's year con Idles, recameurs, clicncttes, picqueurs, tains entries for “ passement faict a les arriercpoins etc. qu’mi iuvente de jour ii gui]le,”-“ grand passement,”—'“ passe- autre.” Discours sur Vextreme cherte'ete., mont faict. au mestier,” &c —Comptes de presents' a la Mere rlu Hoi, par mi sien la Heine de Xavarrc. Arch. Nat